Front 3/4 view of yellow Lexus LFA Spyder in museum lobby - Toyota MuseumThe rarest Lexus model in the world is the LFA Spyder, of which only two have been made. One is yellow with a brown interior, and the other is white with a red interior. There has been some confusion over how many Lexus LFA Spyders were produced. A "Jay Leno's Garage" YouTube video released on October 5, 2012 follows Jay Leno during his visit to the LFA manufacturing plant where one of the most successful models in Lexus history was made. Jay showed how it's made from strands of carbon fiber woven together, and processed into the LFA's chassis. He then proceeded to drive what he called the "only" LFA Spyder ever produced, at Fuji Speedway in Japan. The LFA Spyder that Jay Leno drove was the white car with the red interior.Two of these Lexus LFA Spyders were ever produced. They can be considered prototypes, since they never entered production, do not appear on the production LFA registry, and have no VINs. These two LFA Spyders are simply LFA coupes that have had their roofs removed, which is a demonstration of the exceptional rigidity of the LFA's carbon fiber structure. In addition, there is no provision for a folding top, as these cars have no roofs at all. AdvertisementAdvertisementNevertheless, they appear to be finished to the same high standards as the production LFA coupes, which underwent 7,000 inspections over a 10-day period. The white car has been identified on the overall LFA registry as chassis number P003, with the P standing for prototype, while the yellow car is chassis number P019. Read more: 5 Of The Most Reliable Toyota Engines Ever Built, RankedWhat's so special about the Lexus LFA?Screenshot from Jay Leno's Garage video featuring Lexus LFA Spyder - Jay Leno's Garage/YouTubeThe two extremely rare Lexus LFA Spyder prototypes are a subset of the very expensive Lexus LFA coupe production, numbering 500 units. The Lexus LFA coupe was Toyota's attempt to make a halo car that would showcase the Lexus brand's carmaking expertise at a very high level. For the chassis, Toyota went back to its origins as a weaving company, using its knowledge to make the LFA's carbon fiber chassis itself, in the factory. The lightweight carbon-fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) body panels would also be made in-house, while the front-mounted 4.8-liter V10 engine was co-developed with Yamaha and drives the rear wheels through a six-speed sequential transmission. Identified as the 1LR-GUE, the engine puts out 552 horsepower and sits very low in the chassis, thanks to its dry-sump oiling system. The Lexus LFAs were produced at a rate of one per day, which came out to exactly 500 cars made during a two-year period.AdvertisementAdvertisementPerformance of the Lexus LFA, based on Car and Driver testing, showed a 0-60 mph time of 3.7 seconds, with 0-100 mph taking just 7.8 seconds and the quarter-mile going by in 11.8 seconds at a trap speed of 124 mph. Top speed is estimated at 202 mph. Roadholding on the skidpad came out to 1.0g. The Lexus LFA also achieved a production car record at the Nürburgring Nordschleife track, setting a time of 7:14.64 minutes on August 31, 2011. This is still an excellent time, ranking today as the 36th best time ever, nearly 14 years later. Want the latest in tech and auto trends? Subscribe to our free newsletter for the latest headlines, expert guides, and how-to tips, one email at a time. You can also add us as a preferred search source on Google.Read the original article on SlashGear.
+9 others
